Part 11- The Fiend's Judgement
Gemini: No… Oh God, no…
(As Gemini's eyes refill with tears, there is a clattering sound from a pile of rocks near where Reflection was blasted. Shotman suddenly snaps his head in the direction of the sound.)
Shotman: No… Impossible… Gemini, look out!
(Gemini glances up and barely jumps out of the way in time as a mirror blade shoots at her. A familiar laugh is then heard from the rubble. In the next second, Reflection bursts up from the rocks. He is no longer dark and jagged, but smooth and humanoid. His skin is the color of mirrored glass all over.)
Reflection: That was quite a technique! I had to use all my defensive power just to hold it off! I never thought I would see anything that could break my shield let alone my outer body! However, the fool wasted his efforts. I am still very much alive, and with more then enough power to destroy you all! Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, the pointless acts of humans never cease to amuse me!
Gemini: Shut up…
Reflection: Hm? What's wrong little girl? Have I said something to upset you?
(Gemini slowly gets to her feet, then stares at the creature with a look of deepest hatred.)
Gemini: Don't you dare make fun of Aidan! He was the bravest and kindest man I've ever known! For daring to mock him… I'll kill you myself!
(Gemini then multiplies by exactly one hundred. Reflection simply smirks.)
Reflection: Superior numbers won't help you here… I'm much quicker in this form…
(Black Reflection sends out a wave of blades, too fast to be seen. The Gemini doppelgangers are all struck and vanish. The real Gemini is left standing in front of the thing.)
Gemini: (thinking) No… I'm not fast enough… I can't die like this… I have to destroy this thing… for Aidan…
(As the Reflection throws another blade time seems to slow down. Gemini is startled, but has enough sense to sidestep the attack.)
Déjà: Mon dieu! Mademoiselle, when did you become that fast!?
Gemini: I'm not… until I… wanted to be… Wait a minute! All those times… those weren't coincidences! I've been… I've been multiplying things like speed and power! I'm not limited to physical things after all!
There is no spork… - The Cap'n
Reflection: Is that so? Well unfortunately for you, I have much more power in reserve!
(Black Reflection moves as if to charge up… and stops.)
Reflection: (thinking) What!? How is this possible!? My power should be-! Oh no… That fool's last attack… a selfless act… something that pure must have attacked the very evil that I am formed by! Well, no problem, they don't know yet. I can stall with the power I have…
Shotman: I saw that interesting thought, comrade. Gemini, he's weakened! Hit him now!
Gemini: With pleasure…
(Gemini shuts her eyes and focuses on her speed, accuracy, and physical strength. She then pulls out her tonfa and vanishes from sight. Black Reflection is then struck with blow after blow from an invisible force. Gemini finally appears next to him and stops moving.)
Reflection: Humans… I'll…never…understand…
(A number of cracks appear in Reflection's body. They crisscross and connect with each other until the whole body is covered in cracks. Gemini then stamps her foot on the ground and Black Reflection crumbles into a large pile of powdered glass.)
Gemini: I won… but it's an empty victory…
(The soundtrack for the following scene is Midnight Sons' If Only Tears Could Bring You Back.)
(Gemini then walks back to Echo's body and turns it over. His remaining real eye and the Fiend's Eye are still open. Gemini shuts the eyelids with a trembling hand, then breaks down completely. Nobody else can think of anything to say while Gemini sobs into Echo's chest. Tears can be seen glistening in the other crewmates eyes as well. Déjà is openly bawling, the band over Shotman's sightless eyes is soaked through, and Medic's glasses are completely drenched in his tears. Photon does not shed any tears, but his gleaming eyes are brimming with sorrow and the light shining from his skin has changed color to a mournful blue. Even the Titans are filled with regret. Cyborg is gazing solemnly at the ground. Beast Boy brushes a hand across his eyes, trying to fight the urge to cry. Starfire is crying silently and Raven's eyes shimmer with unshed tears.)
Robin: (thinking) I'm sorry for misjudging you, Echo… Right at the end… you were a real hero.
(It is then that the room becomes filled with an icy chill. The scant light in the room dims and a dark shadow pulls off from the wall and takes a vaguely humanoid shape. A pair of red eyes glows from the head while the rest of the body remains shrouded.)
Beast Boy: Don't tell me that thing's still alive!?
Raven: No… that's… a Fiend!
Photon: Come to reclaim it's artifact, probably…
(Gemini looks up at the Fiend and drapes her body over Echo as if to shield him.)
Gemini: Keep away from him! Leave him alone! If you so much as touch him, I'll kill you!
Fiend: That would indeed be some trick, mortal girl, as I am everlasting. Fortunately for you, my business is with that corpse you are so desperately hanging onto.
(Insulted by these words on Echo's behalf, Gemini lunges at the Fiend. It casually bats her away with one arm. She makes to run at it again, but her crewmates pull her back.)
Gemini: Let go! I'm not gonna let this thing touch him; he's been through enough!
Fiend: Silence. I am here to evaluate this mortal.
(The Fiend picks Echo's body up while Gemini struggles to break her friends' grip. It pries Echo's left eyelid open, revealing the Fiend's Eye. A beam of red light shoots from the shadow being's right eye and into the now dark pupil of the Fiend's Eye. They stay this way for one minute, then the Fiend lays the body back on the ground. It then speaks in a disgusted tone.)
Fiend: Pathetic mortal! You ruined everything! You started out perfectly, slaughtering without mercy, collecting ever more blood to sate the Lords of Darkness! Even your Reality power was used for properly evil purposes! You could have joined us! But you threw it all away on that final attack! Performing a selfless act and tossing your own life to the wind just to save some pathetic mortals! You could never make it in the dark world! And as punishment for your foolishness, no one shall ever remember your glorious acts of evil! From this moment forth, everything you ever gained with the aid of this Eye shall be revoked! Everyone you've ever killed, all of it. And now, I'll take this Eye. Goodbye, pathetic human!
(The Fiend pulls the Eye from Echo's eye socket and slides back into the wall. There is a loud crack, then the chill vanishes as the room brightens. Gemini's friends release her and she falls to her knees and begins sobbing into her hands.)
Medic: Hm? Shotman, your sight is better; confirm for me. I may be wrong but, the Captain appears to be getting less pale.
Shotman: Hm? What!? Gemini! Gemini, look!
(Gemini glances up and sees that Echo is slowly turning his head from side to side. He then coughs once… and sits up! His eyes blink open and, to everyone's astonishment, his scar is gone, and both his eyes are the same bright aquamarine that they were seven years before.)
Echo: Ohhh…Shiver me timbers, but have I got a headache… Oh. It looks like I'm alive after all… Hello there crew! Did we win?
Gemini: Ai…Aidan!
(Gemini runs over, leaps on top of Echo and, before he has quite gotten adjusted to the impact, she has kissed him on the mouth. Ten seconds after, her eyes snap open and she pulls back, blushing deeply.)
Gemini: S-sorry!
(However, instead of being angry, Echo has a surprised smile on his face.)
Echo: Well! That's a new experience! I think that may be the most fun I've had since me first pillage!
Robin: You're alive… but how?
Shotman: Quite simple. The Fiend said that everything the Captain ever achieved with the Fiend's Eye was to be repealed. Since he took his own life with his final attack, that has been reversed as well. And it looks as though his real eye has been restored just to eliminate any other evidence of his former possession of dark power.
Echo: I guess I'm just one lucky sea dog!
Beast Boy: We just kicked some serious butt! Party back at the Tower! I'm cooking!
Cyborg: Oh no you don't; I'm cooking!
Déjà: I could cook.
Cyborg+Beast Boy: Stay outta this!
Robin: Why not? We could use a little celebration. Care to join us?
Echo: Sounds like a plan, mate! Now then, Colleen… how'd that go again?
(Echo pulls Gemini in and kisses her. She looks ready to pass out with happiness.)
Photon: Could you stop? I think I'm gonna be sick…